Hand-positioning device for penmen.



PATENTED MAR. s, 1908.

w. G. DELASHAW. HAND POSITIONING DEVICE FOR PENMEN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21.1907.

1m: mamas versus cn. WASHINGTON, n. c

WILLIAM G. DELASHAW, OF MOULTON, ALABAMA,

HAND-POSITIONING DEVICE FOR PENME1\T.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed November 21. 1907- Serial No. 403.110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. DELASHAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moulton, county of Lawrence, State of Alabama, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Positioning Devices forPenmen and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientdeviceheld in the penhand of the writer and presenting a series ofsurfaces to be engaged by the palm of the hand, the several fingers andthe thumb, a recess below the index finger to receive and support thepen or other writing instrument, to insure a roper position of thevarious members of t e hand and the pen, in writing, and to prevent theobjectionablefingermovements which are conducive to writers cramp, andto require the writing to be effected with the free fore-arm movementfound necessary by most penmen for easy, flowing and graceful writing.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved device, the position of the hand and pen being shown in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that the device considered asa whole, comprises a shell-like structure or body which fits snuglywithin the hand when the latter is in correct writing position, and isprovided with a sup ort for the pen or pencil which is removab fy andadjustably held in said support in position to be engaged by the thumband the first and second fingers.

More particularly described, the device consists of the body having asurface a adapted to fit the palm of the hand, and a forward extension bwhich is provided with surface grooves c, e, f and g, the first two ofwhich are adapted to receive the first and'second fingers and the lattertwo to receive the third and fourth fingers and maintain all of the saidfingers in proper position for writing. To effect this object thegrooves c and e are curved forwardly and downwardly from the topsurface, and grooves f and g are first curved forwardly and downwardlyand then sharply toward the rear, so as to cause the ends of the thirdand fourth fingers to underlie the palm of the hand, but at somedistance from the palm to support the hand.

The thumb side of the body is provided with a groove or recess j, whichextends in an easy curve from the palm section a to the groove 0 withwhich it connects by a lateral opening (1. From the center of the curvedsection 1, and therefore from the thumb side of the shell-like body,there projects a boss 11 which is adapted to lie snugly within theopening formed between the forefinger, the thumb and the portion of thealm adjacent the fore-finger and the thum so that the thumb enga es thegroove and the grooved portion h bel ow said boss, and the end of thethumb extends through the opening d and projects laterally toward thegroove 0. The said groove 0 is adapted to receive, and, through the 006eration of the thumb, forefinger and midd e finger, retain the pen orpencil in writing position. To ermit the re movable and adjustableretentlon of the pen and pencil, the groove 0 is made considerablydeeper than the other grooves, so that the pen or pencil may lie in andbe supported by the bottom of the groove below the forefinger. In orderto permit pens or pencils of different sizes and shapes to be employed,the middle portion of the groove 0 is hollowed out so that a straightpen or pencil rests merely on the up er and lower portions of the bottomof said groove, While a en holder or the like with a swell in the mi dleportion of its length will be readily accommodated by the middle deeperportion of said groove.

The hand positioning device as described may be formed of wood, metal,papier-mach or any other suitable material. When formed of plasticmaterial or metal, it may be made as a relatively thin, shell-like body,as indicated in the figures of the drawing, and when made of wood, theunder portion may be hollowed out as much as may be feasible in order torender the whole device light in weight and easily supported by thehand, without requiring undue pressure of the fingers.

The mode of using the device, as described, will be apparent frominspection of the drawing. The pen or pencil is first placed within thegroove 0 and the portion a of the body placed within the palm of thehand, after which the fingers are dropped into position to snugly engagethe several grooves c, e, f and g, the thumb is then passed under theboss i so that the end engages the side of the pen or pencil, whichlatter is also engaged by the under surface at the end of the firstfinger and the lateral surface at the end of the second finger. The penor pencil is then adjusted up or down in the grooveto permit the properlength of the pen or pencil end to project beyond the fingers to insurethe easiest .writing movements. The hand is then laid squarely on thepaper with the knuckles of the first two fingers substantiallyhorizontal, and the pen ointed over the right shoulder, and the handsupported by and gliding freely upon the nails of the third and fourthfingers. With the device adjusted and held as described, it will befound that the pen or pencil is held in position so that any tendency ofthe writer to form his strokes by movement of the fingers instead of thefree fore-arm movement will be prevented. In fact, the whole tendencyand effect of the device is to retain the hand in what is recognized bymost authorities as the proper position for writing, and to prevent thehand assuming any other position.

What I claim is 1. A hand positioning device for penmen, comprising abody portion to fit the palm receive and loosely support the pen orpencil- 2. A hand positioning device for penmen, comprising a shell-likebody havlng a superior surface to fit the palm of the hand and fingers,a lateral surface to fit the thumb, and a groove in the portion of thesuperior sur face underlying the fore-finger to receive and looselysupport the pen or pencil.

3. A hand positioning device for pen-men,

comprising a body portion to fit the palm of the hand, a forwardextension having grooves therein to receive the fingers, a lateral portion extending from the body portion having a groove to receive thethumb, and a boss or projection on said lateral portion to lie betweenthe thumb and fore-finger, the groove for the fore-finger being deepenedto receive and loosely support the pen or pencil.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

W. G. DELASHAW. Witnesses J. C. KUMPE, B. S. NEELY.

